New Delhi: The Allahabad High Court Thursday suggested the Uttar Pradesh government should look into the possibility of mass testing people for Covid-19 in the state.
A bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ajit Kumar asserted that widespread testing will allow uninfected people to go to work fearlessly and will also “help the country to change the sprouting economy into a lush green one”.
The bench said the government could explore the option by beginning with the city of Prayagraj and if successful, the process can be emulated throughout the state.
It has also asked the government to come up with a “complete blueprint for dealing with the infection”.
“Under such circumstances, we suggest that the State of U.P. should begin with forming a procedure for the city of Prayagraj to undergo mass systematic testing and if we are able to succeed in the experiment then rest of the district of Prayagraj and thereafter all the districts of the State of U.P. can emulate the process,” the court observed.
It was hearing a suo motu petition initiated by the high court on 7 May, to look into the “inhuman conditions at quarantine centres and for provisioning better treatment to Corona Positive” patients.
The PIL initially began after one of the lawyers sent an email to the court about an engineer succumbing to the virus, after claiming that the quarantine centre in which he was kept was not hygienic and that he was not provided with adequate treatment.
Since then, the court has dealt with several issues through the PIL, ranging from migrant labourers to the hospitals in the state.
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In its order passed Thursday, the court pointed out the “erratic” nature of the virus and said that it is usually the breadwinner of the family who brings back the infection after going out for work.
While it acknowledged the state’s efforts to sanitise offices and distribute masks, the court said that the number of tests conducted are “highly insufficient” currently.
It also considered suggestions from the Bar, who recommended testing the earning member of a family for Covid every month.
“Only if it is found that the earning member is positive, the other members would have to get tested and thereafter treatment would be followed,” the recommendation had said.
Another recommendation was in relation to the Covid-19 testing fee. The Bar said that the families receiving salary from the government can get the test done on their own, and those who have resources can donate “wholeheartedly”. The state could provide funds for the rest of the people.
The court has asked the UP government to look into the feasibility of these suggestions, observing, “The above directions/suggestions might appear to be of a massive magnitude but if we have to conquer the infection of Covid-19 then we will have to follow them in letter and spirit.”
It has also asked for a response from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex medical research body in the country, pointing out that installation of testing machines on such a large scale might require a certificate from ICMR.
The petition will next be heard on 25 June.
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